This document discusses various amino acids and their benefits for bodybuilders. It provides details on 8 essential amino acids - histidine, lysine, phenylalanine, methionine, BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine) and their roles in muscle growth, fat loss, hormone production, and more. The document emphasizes that a balanced intake of all amino acids is important for health and recommends dosages for individual supplementation.

1. AMINO ACIDS: BCAAs, Glutamine, Arginine, there are around 20 to 22 standard
amino acids. Of
Since aminos are the building blocks of protein, I'm sure you get plenty of all of them,
but this article will show you the benefits of supplementing with extra free form amino
acids, going in to deep detail of what too much or too little of several of them can do,
what they do in the body and how much and when you should use them.
Next to the 8 essential amino acids, there are around 14 non-essential amino acids and
a whole host of other metabolites classed as amino acids which are derived from the 8
essential ones. Next to the 8 essential aminos, I will try to discuss a number of them
that have made the headlines recently: L-Glutamine, L-Arginine, L-Carnitine, L-
Cysteine, and HMB.
Amino Acids are wondrous things. Once you learn what they do in the body,
you're almost struck with amazement.
They fulfill the basic foundations of well-being like vitamins and minerals whilst
also optimizing those micronutrients and providing the fuel for growth, health,
good functioning of the body and genetic transcription. If I were to go into a rant
aboutamino acids and their many functions I could easily fill a book.
As a matter of fact, if I went into describing the uses of every amino acid
separately I'd already have a nice novella. That's why I'm only going to discuss
the ones that could be of potent benefit to the athlete. That's probably still going to
justify several pages.
What Are Amino Acids?
Well, amino acids in food make up protein. When protein is digested it is once
again broken down into specific amino acids, that are then selectively put together
for different uses. These new proteins formed in the body are what make up most
solid matter in the body: skin, eyes, heart, intestines, bones and, of course,
muscle.
That's why understanding what each of these aminos can do and getting more of
them in your diet can be very beneficial to reaching specific goals, such as muscle
building. Of course, one mustn't exaggerate, because a good protein balance is
what provides health and stability, without it any of the amino acids can become
toxic.
An issue that has been brought up in the case of phenylalanine, but holds true for
all amino acids. To counter potential harmful effects, getting enough vitamins and
minerals is important because they insure proper conversion of protein to amino
and vice versa.

2. Depending on who you talk to, there are around 20 to 22 standard amino acids.
Of those 20-22, 8 to 10 of them are considered essential, which means that you
need to get a certain amount of them in your diet to function properly - our bodies
cannot synthesize them from other materials, so we only get them from food.
Since aminos are the building blocks of protein, I'm sure you get plenty of all of
them, but this article will show you the benefits of supplementing with extra free
form amino acids, going in to deep detail of what too much or too little of several
of them can do, what they do in the body and how much and when you should
use them.
Next to the 8 essential amino acids, there are around 14 non-essential amino
acids and a whole host of other metabolites classed as amino acids which are
derived from the 8 essential ones. Next to the 8 essential aminos, I will try to
discuss a number of them that have made the headlines recently: L-Glutamine, L-
Arginine, L-Carnitine, L-Cysteine, and HMB.
Don't All Amino Acids Start With The Prefix "L-" ?
No. Almost every amino acid occurs in two forms, L and D. The L- and D- forms of
amino acids are molecular mirror images (i.e., stereoisomers called chiral
enantiomers) of each other. In addition, DL forms do exist (combinations of the two,
called racemic mixtures).
"Chirality" describes the "lefthanded/righthanded-ness" of a molecule that is
observable by the ability of a molecule to rotate a plane of polarized light either to
the left (Levorotatory) or to the right (Dextrorotatory) - hence the letters L & D.
All of the alpha amino acids in proteins are "left-handed". Therefore, they are all L-
amino acids. D-amino acids are never found in proteins, but they do exist in other
places in the body, in foods, in antibiotics, in other plants and animals, etc.
L-form amino acids are usually tasteless, whereas D-forms tend to taste sweet. For
example, spearmint gum and caraway seeds, respectively, contain L-Carvone and
D-Carvone. These smell different because our taste receptors contain chiral
molecules which behave differently in the presence of enantiomers.
The 8 Essential Amino Acids
Understanding the essentials and trying to optimize them in your diet should be
basic knowledge for any bodybuilder.
A complete spectrum of amino acids and optimum health can only be brought
forth by gearing your protein intake to these 8 aminos. So even if you aren't even
considering supplementing with free forms, at least peruse these next 8
paragraphs and learn.

3. Histidine
In the human body, histidine is needed for the growth and repair of tissue
of all kind. It plays a key role in the maintenance and manufacture of glial
nerve cells called oligo-dendrocytes which wrap themselves around your
nerves to form a protective sheath called myelin.
This prevents unintended impulses that can obviously lead to serious
defects in the brain and spinal cord. As if it didn't have enough work,
histidine is also a manufacturer of both red and white blood cells.
It also helps in radiation protection and removing excess heavy metals (such as
iron) from the body. In the stomach, it produces gastric juices that may speed up
and improve digestion, so it's a helpful tool in fighting indigestion and gastro-
intestinal disorders.
It is a precursor to the non-essential amino acid histamine, which is released by
the immune system as a response to allergic reactions. It has also been linked in
recent studies to longer orgasms and better sexual enjoyment for those of you
who are having a little trouble in that area...
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To
Minimal, only in improving digestion.
Bodybuilders
Minimum of 1000 mg daily, but the recommendation is 8-10 mg a day per
Dosage kilogram of bodyweight. Chances are you get at least two or three times
that in your diet.
Too much histidine may lead to stress and the aggravation of mental
Overdosing
disorders such as anxiety and schizophrenia.
Medical Uses Used in the treating of arthritis and nerve deafness.
Sources Found in dairy, meat, poultry, fish as well as rice, wheat and rye.
Deficiency Unknown.
Lysine
L-Lysine is one of the aminos that is of utmost importance to growth and
development. It is used in the body for calcium absorption, which results in bone
and muscle growth as well as fat mobilization for energy uses.
It maintains the nitrogen balance and helps to maintain lean body mass in
periods of extreme stress and fatigue. It is also needed to produce antibodies,
hormones (GH, testosterone, insulin, you name it), enzymes, collagen and to
repair damaged tissue, much like histidine and most of the essential amino acids.

4. Next to maintaining it, it also helps to build new muscle protein. And the
cardiovascular benefits include the maintenance of healthy blood vessels.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Next to the maintenance and manufacture of muscle protein, Lysine plays a
Use To role in revitalizing the body to combat fatigue and overtraining and it
Bodybuilders maintains a positive nitrogen balance, creating an anabolic environment
within the body.
Normal recommendation is 12 mg per kilo of bodyweight, but daily intake
exceeds that, and even when taking in 1.5 grams of protein per pound of
Dosage
bodyweight, a couple of extra mg won't hurt. It's a priority amino acid to the
athlete. but beware of overdosing.
Overdosing Could result in higher LDL cholesterol, diarrhea and gallstones.
Medical Uses Treating of cold sores and lack of energy.
Sources Cheese, eggs, milk, meat, yeast, potatoes and lima beans.
May lead to enzyme disorders, lack of energy, hair loss (common for protein
Deficiency
shortage), weight loss, no appetite and loss of concentration.
Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine is, or rather was, a hot topic. Some people seem to react rather
badly to it, and a lot of heck was raised about it being used in products. Things
have calmed down and studies have shown that there is no harm in it for healthy
people.
It elevates the mood by stimulating the nerve system, and may be important to
staying motivated for whatever reason. It aids memory and together with its
derivative, glutamine, is considered a smart-vitamin (though they aren't vitamins).
It increases levels of epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, and dopamine in the anterior
pituitary. All three are important neurotransmitters needed for optimum operation
of the nerve system. It also helps the absorption of UV rays in sunlight, which in
turn gives a higher rate of Vitamin D, a strong body hormone.
Its main metabolite is tyrosine which increases levels of dopamine and nor-
epinephrine, as stated above. It's also one of the manufacturers of glutamine, the
amino acid that makes up the largest part of the amino acid pool.
Phenylalanine often gets a bad wrap in the press. It is used as a non-
carbohydrate sweetener in many soft drinks (combined with aspartic acid,
aspartame) and made headlines recently when some claimed it was hazardous
to the brain, and then later it was linked to carcinogenic risk.

5. Toxic levels of phenylalanine can indeed be lethal, but trust me, so can anything
else. If I put a gun to your head and made you drink twenty gallons of purified
water, you'd be dead too. And that's water. Imagine what vitamins or minerals
could do?
Yet somehow I doubt anyone feels vitamins are an evil poison, put on earth to kill
you. Well, neither is phenylalanine. It's an essential amino acid, and most
nutritionists will tell you that you are more likely to be deficient than run the risk of
overdosing.
Toxic doses exceed 3 to 4 times the amount you would get on average from a
diet containing 250-300 grams of protein daily. So that extra diet Coke won't kill
you.
Apart from motivation and extra Vitamin D, Phenylalanine is of the use
because of the nerve upgrading which will allow for maximal contraction and
Use To
relaxation of the muscles. The DL-form is often supplemented as an
Bodybuilders
endurance enhancer. Because of the toxicity level, this is never done long-
term.
Recommendation is 14 mg per kilo of bodyweight. You'll be getting more
Dosage than that no doubt, and I see no need to increase that. Especially with the
potential side-effects.
This is not a wise supplement to be taking by pregnant women and diabetics.
Overdosing It results in higher blood pressure, headaches, nausea, heart trouble and
nerve damage.
Medical Uses For treatment of arthritis and depression.
Sources All dairy products, almonds, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
Its rare, but if it occurs it leads to weakness, lethargy, liver damage and
Deficiency
stunted growth.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Methionine
I'll no doubt refer to the subject again when we discuss ZMA in a future article,
but methionine assists in the breakdown and use of fats, which in turn yields a
higher testosterone rate.
Together with zinc, that's how ZMA does its thing. It also eliminates excess fat
from the bloodstream, resulting in less potential adipose (fat) tissue. It is key in
digestion and the removal of heavy metals from the stomach and liver. It is a
good anti-oxidant because it readily supplies sulfur, inactivates free radicals and
helps with memory recall.
It is a precursor to cysteine, which is the amino that produces glutathione to
detoxify the liver. It's also one of the three aminos that are needed to
manufacture creatine monohydrate within the body, an essential compound for
energy production and muscle growth.

6. .
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Fat metabolization, better digestion and anti-oxidizing properties make this a
Bodybuilders valuable compound.
12 mg per kilo of bodyweight. If you think it may be a good idea to
Dosage supplement this, you may as well invest in some ZMA. The supplement is
cost-effective and yields higher results than just Methionine.
None, except in case of a shortage of B-Vitamins, in which case you are an
Overdosing
easy target for arteriosclerosis.
Medical Uses Used to treat depression, arthritis and liver disease.
Sources Meat, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds.
Causes dementia, fatty liver, slow growth, weakness, skin lesions and
Deficiency
edema.
BCAAs
Branched Chain Amino Acids are held in high regard in bodybuilding circles and
justly so. They are the three most important amino acids in the manufacture,
maintenance and repair of muscle-tissue. All three exert a strong synergistic
effect.
Using just Valine or Iso-leucine does little as far as anabolics is concerned but
both, when dosed in the right amounts, enhance the effect of the all-important
Leucine. As with certain other supplements, the relative dose is more important
than the overall dose.
It is believed that a 2-1-2 equilibrium in Leucine/Iso-leucine/Valine dosing yields
the best results. The dosages listed are the FDA recommendations for taking the
individual BCAA's. BCAAs are used medically to treat headaches, dizziness,
fatigue, depression and irritability as a result of protein deficiency.
BCAAs are always best used together. A little useful stack advice: BCAAs stack
well with B-complex vitamins.
Leucine
Leucine, the strongest of the BCAAs, is responsible for the regulation of blood-
sugar levels, the growth and repair of tissues in skin, bones and of course
skeletal muscle.
It's a strong potentiator to Human Growth Hormone (HGH). It helps in healing
wounds, regulating energy, and assists in the preventing the breakdown of
muscle tissue.

7. Bodybuilder Summary.
Leucine may be one of the strongest natural anabolic agents in the world. It
Use To
will not give you amazing results, however, simply because you are already
Bodybuilders
taking in quite large amounts of it.
Dosage 16 mg per kilo of bodyweight.
Overdosing Unknown, may increase ammonia.
Medical Uses Prevention of muscle-wasting in states of deprivation.
Found in nearly all protein sources, including brown rice, beans, nuts, and
Sources
whole wheat.
Deficiency Unknown.
Isoleucine
Very similar to Lucien in most every way. Isoleucine promotes muscle recovery,
regulates the blood-sugar levels and stimulates HGH release. But isoleucine
holds its own in terms of wound healing.
It helps in the formation of hemoglobin and is strongly involved in the formation of
blood-clots, the body's primary defense against infection through open wounds.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Of similar importance as leucine, Very important as part of the BCAA
Bodybuilders stack.
Dosage 10-12 mg per kilo of bodyweight.
Causes elevated urination. No serious problems. May become serious if
Overdosing
you have kidney or liver disease.
Medical Uses Wound healing.
Sources Chicken, cashews, fish, almonds, eggs, lentils, liver, meat.
Deficiency Unknown.
Valine
Valine helps the repair and growth of muscle tissue, as commonly attributed to BCAAs.
It maintains the nitrogen balance and preserves the use of glucose.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To
In combination with Isoleucine and Leucine.
Bodybuilders
Dosage 16 mg per kilo of bodyweight.
Crawling sensation in the skin is common, hallucination, may be
Overdosing
hazardous to people with kidney and liver disease.
Medical Uses None, not separately.
Sources Dairy, meat, grain, mushrooms, soy, peanuts.
Deficiency Leads to MSUD.

8. Threonine
An essential amino acid that is not manufactured within the body, ever. Since its
main sources are animal (dairy and meat) this doesn't bode well to vegans. It's
found in heart, skeletal muscle and nerve tissue in the central nervous system.
Threonine (reminds me of that chick on "Star Trek: Voyager") is used to form the
body's two most important binding substances, collagen and elastin. It is also
essential to maintain proper protein balance.
Threonine is involved in liver functioning, lipotropic functions (when combined
with aspartic acid and methionine) and in the maintenance of the immune system
by helping in the production of antibodies and promoting growth and activity of
the thymus.
But perhaps its most useful property of all is that it allows better absorption of
other nutrients, so protein sources containing threonine are more bio-available
than others.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Absorption of protein, maintenance of muscle and important to good
Bodybuilders health.
8 mg per kilo of bodyweight, generally advised in amounts of 100-500
Dosage
mg when supplemented.
Overdosing Not known.
Medical Uses Treatment for mental health.
Sources Meat, dairy, and eggs.
Irritability and being difficult, nothing severe. Less immunity against
Deficiency
disease.
The Most Important Non-Essential Amino Acids
The above information is knowledge that will empower you to understand why you need
protein, but apart from BCAAs I know few people that take extra essential amino acids,
simply because every bodybuilder with half a brain is already taking in at least ten to
twenty times the recommended FDA doses, in some cases as much as 40 times.
But non-essential amino acids are produced only as the body needs them, and are not
as omni-present in food as the essential ones are. So while we have more than enough
non-essential amino acids, in some circumstances taking in extra free form versions
may be beneficial.

9. Especially in circumstances where for one reason or another the body's reserve is in
danger of being absorbed for less useful purposes. They are temporary solutions to
temporary problems. But some would have you believe, vested interests can pay off
big-time, that you should be taking them all the time.
Glutamine being case in point.Weider is the biggest distributor of free form L-Glutamine
and FLEX magazine recommends you take in massive amounts of the stuff even when
you don't need it. That Weider owns FLEX hasn't dawned on anyone yet apparently. But
this goes for all non-essential amino acids. Here are the most popular ones.
Glutamine
L-Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that is present in the body in large
amounts. At some times it forms 60 percent of your total amino acid pool.
Because it passes through the blood-brain barrier rather easily it's often called
brain-food.
It may aid memory recall and concentration. In the brain it converts to glutamic
acid, which is essential for brain functioning and increase GABA (gamma-amino-
butyric-acid, another popular supplemented amino) needed or mental activities. It
is used in synthesis of muscle-tissue.
We all know we need nitrogen to get big, but too much nitrogen in the body could
cause ammonia in the brain. Glutamine helps to get rid of it by attaching itself to
the nitrogen and forming glutamic acid, then escorts it out of the body. Glutamine
is also one of the main building blocks in the genetic coding.
It is found in several strands of DNA and RNA, more than other amino's. And
most important perhaps is that it balances the acid/alkaline level, so it reduces
lactic acid.
It decreases the cravings for sweets which can be of use on a diet, and a
metabolite of glutamine called Monosodium Glutamine (MSG), a salt, is used as
a flavor enhancer. It has no real flavor of its own, but it can enhance the flavor of
other products such as meat, fish and vegetables.
Glutamine has the downside of being more readily used as fuel for energy than
some simple carbs. It is one of the preferred fuels of the intestines for example
and a good source of energy throughout the body. So chances are more
glutamine will not even be used for what you supplement it for. The body just
doesn't use what it already has.
So, is glutamine a bad supplement? No. It's one of the best supplements
currently on the market, but there is no way in hell you need to supplement with
L-glutamine in a bulking phase. You should have plenty.

10. I asked some sources who could know (and don't have a vested interest in the
stuff) and they said, and I quote: "In the presence of good health,
supplementation is not necessary." That, my friends, is fact.
No company, other than commercial supplement companies, carries a glutamine
product. But we all know they'll produce anything if they smell money, just look
at vanadyl.
So, why bother? Well, In a dieting phase you will be lowering your carbs, and if
you are cutting up for competition your carb intake will be so low you are in
danger of using hard earned muscle-protein as fuel for your body. And what did I
say is the preferred fuel of most tissues: glutamine.
So supplementing with extra Glutamine makes sense if you want to spare that
hard-earned muscle. In fact in this instance it becomes necessary. I use the stuff
myself. 15-25 grams can be supplemented and burned without touching the rest
of the body's amino acid supply.
Some people suggest using 2 doses, but I can tell you as a competitor that you
will get more benefit by using more. I prefer 5 doses of 5-7 grams, but that is a
personal opinion, not a guideline. Keep in mind that it is expensive.
This is a supplement paradox: it is absolutely useless and a waste of money one
moment, but a critical tool in success the next. Never dismiss the power of
glutamine, despite the bad wrap I gave it. It can be worth your buck.
I just think it's more important to convince you of its overuse than of its merits,
there are enough companies that will sell you on that.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To The preservation of muscle mass and the supplying of an alternate energy
Bodybuilders source in glucose deprivatedconditions (diets and such).
Don't go overboard. 5-10 grams can illicit an effect, but bodybuilders on
Dosage
low-carb diets for shows could go as high as 30-35.
Overdosing Only dangerous in people with liver or kidney trouble.
Medical Uses
Sources Large amounts in all high-protein foods.
Deficiency Unknown, glutamine is the most manufactured protein in the body.

11. Arginine
Lately, L-Arginine is the hottest amino topic around, for the moment. Arginine is added to many
supplements for its amazing nitrogen retention ability. Nitrogen as you are all aware is one of
the key elements in muscle protein synthesis.
Some plants can absorb nitrogen, but we mammals have to make do with the stuff we make
ourselves. Arginine is mostly present in protanines and histones, two proteins commonly
associated with nucleic acids (like DNA and RNA). So far, its main use was for newborns to
excite new growth, because at a young age its difficult to manufacture enough.
It enhances the immune system, and stimulates the size and activity of the thymus gland
(responsible for the famous "T-cells"), which makes it a prime choice for anyone in a
condition that is less than optimal for health, such as people recovering from injury and
HIV patients.
The hormonal release properties include releasing insulin from the pancreas and a
massive stimulator in the manufacture of GH from the anterior pituitary. But for GH, the
metabolite arginine pyroglutamate because it passes the brain-blood barrier more easily.
It is often linked to sexual stimulus, with the notion that it may lengthen and improve
orgasms. It is found in seminal fluid and was often used in studies to enhance the male
sexual health and put forward as a cure for sterility.
So very useful in this day and age of environmental estrogens and not to be overlooked
by steroid-users looking for a post-cycle boost. It also improves the health of the liver,
skin and connective tissues and may lower cholesterol.
But mostly it facilitates muscle mass gain while limiting fat storage, because it keeps fat
alive in the system and uses it. It's key in weight control.
Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To
Too many to name. If you read the above, I'm sure you'll realize that.
Bodybuilders
No recommended dosage. I'm not even sure if anyone produces free-form
arginine, but if you have two equal products and one contains more arginine,
Dosage the choice should be simple. To supplement in large doses may lead to side
effects, but getting protein powders and weight-gainers enriched with extra
arginine makes sense.
Skin thickening and coarsening, weakness, diarrhea, nausea and loss of
Overdosing
immunity to viruses. So it is not a smart idea for people with viral diseases.
Treatment of sexual impairment, and often prescribed against high levels of
Medical Uses
cholesterol.
Sources Whole-wheat, nuts and seeds, rice, chocolate, raisins, soy.
Impaired insulin production, hair loss. But hardly ever occurs in healthy
Deficiency
people.
Precaution: Do not stack arginine with lysine because they compete for
absorption.

12. Carnitine
As amino acids go, carnitine is quite the popular fellow. But the truth is, it's not
really an amino acid at all! It's only classed as such because of a structural
likeness.
It's more commonly known as "Vitamin BT". Carnitine actually comes in four
forms: D-carnitine, DL-carnitine, L-carnitine and Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC). Only
the last two could be of actual use to bodybuilders.
When there is enough Thiamin (Vitamin B1) and pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) in
circulation, it can trigger methionine and lysine to manufacture carnitine. Unlike
the majority of amino's, and this is the reason why we consume as much protein
as we do, it is not involved in protein synthesis.
Instead it is used for transport of long-chain fatty acids. It is nescessary for these
fatty acids to enter and be removed from the inside of a cell, and also removes
short-chain organic acids from the mitochondria in order to free mitochondrial
coenzyme.
These characteristics have given it enormous media-attention in bodybuilding
circles because optimal use of carnitine might lead to a decrease in body-fat
percentage and more energy.
For health reasons, carnitine may also be beneficial to prevent fatty acid buildup
within the heart, liver and muscle. Carnitine is a good idea in any case because it
improves the anti-oxidizing effect of Vitamins C and E.
Carnitine is the only non-essential amino acid that should be considered for long-
term use. For people needing to stay lean year long, it could be a very helpful
tool. But here, too, I see no need to use it on a permanent basis, since a lot of it
is present in protein-dense foods.
For competitive bodybuilders I would only suggest use when dieting, since the
leaning out effect may impair the anabolic environment and consequently
muscle-growth, but for those of you making a living as a model or a guest poser,
carnitine could be your number one supplement for keeping lean year round.
For those of you supplementing carnitine, it is wise not to follow standard
guidelines, but to calculate intake according to lean bodyweight.

13. Bodybuilder Summary.
Use To Increase of ATP, better synthetic reception of glucocorticoids and the
Bodybuilders minimizing of fat buildup around the muscle.
Ranging from 20-200 mg seems to be the best choice.A need for carnitine
Dosage is calculated according to muscle weight, so more muscle equals a higher
need for carnitine.
Doses exceeding 3000 mg have been known to cause diarrhea and fish
Overdosing
odor syndrome.
Medical Uses Reducing the risk of poor fat metabolism in diabetics.
Sources Fish, chicken, red meat and milk. Not found in vegetables.
Deficiency Only in people with a carnitine transport-defect.